Molinaro, left, and Dr. Glatt
POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County officially opened its stabilization center on Thursday, a 24/7, non-medical, voluntary, walk-in center for individuals experiencing crisis resulting from mental health or substance abuse issues.
The center is housed with the county Department of Behavioral and Community Health mental health division offices in Poughkeepsie.
County Executive Marcus Molinaro told a grand opening ceremony on Thursday that the facility is “an innovative partnership” with several community health agencies that is unique in the state.
“We will have all mental health services available for individuals dealing with mental illness, living through addiction, 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week,” Molinaro said. “We are quite proud of this integrated response. We will help save lives and in the process help divert individuals from the emergency room and jail.”
County Legislature Chairman Dale Borchert said the county is “Leading New York State with our approach to addressing mental health issues.”
The stabilization center is a collaborative effort with several contributing community partners including MidHudson Regional Hospital, Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Center, Astor Services for Children and Families, and PEOPLe, Inc. MidHudson Regional, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, has provided over $100,000 in financial support for the center and provides four full-time staff for the center’s operations.
The center was dedicated to Dr. Kenneth Glatt, the long-time commissioner of Mental Hygiene for his 35 years of service to the county before he retired in May 2015.
